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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMEEICA. 



DesGfipt 




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WILLIAM H. RAU 

PMILADELPHt* 

1890 



DESCRIPTIVE READING 



ON 



SWITZERLAND 



ILLUSTRATED BY FIFTY LANTERN 
SLIDES 



BY ELLERSLIE WALLAJ 

" ^ ' C0?y RIGHT 



(^ — :S> — ^ 



WILLIAM H. RAU 

PHILADELPHIA 
1890 




Copyright^ i8go, by William H. Rau, 






ILLUSTRATIONS. 



1. Panorama of Bale. 

2. Zurich from the Quaibriicke. 

3. Zurich, The Bridge and Lake. 

4. Swiss Chalets. 

5. Lucerne, The Old Lantern and Bridge. 
•6. The Lake Front, Lucerne. 

7. Thorwaldsen's Lion, Lucerne. 

8. Hotel on the Rigi Kulm, Lake Lucerne. 

9. Old Cottages at Gersau, Lake Lucerne. 

10. The Axenstrasse and the Alps. 

11. Gallery of the Axenstrasse, looking toward Fliielen. 

12. Fliielen. 

13. St. Gotthard Tunnel, at Goschenen. 

14. The St. Gotthard Pass. 

15. St. Gotthard's Pass, The Devil's Bridge. 

16. Hospenthal. 

17. Hospenthal and Andermatt. 

18. Berne. 

19. The Street of Justice, and Clock Tower, Berne. 

20. The Hotel de Ville, Berne. 

21. Panorama of Freiburg. 

22. The Old Fountain, Freiburg. 

23. Geneva, from Rousseau's Island. 

24. The New Bridge, Geneva. 

25. Nyon and the Chateau. 

26. The Cathedral of Lausanne, Lake Geneva. 

27. The Market Place, Vevey. 

28. Inclined Railroad, Territet Glion, Lake Geneva. 

29. The Castle of Chillon. 

30. Interlaken and the Jungfrau. 

31. Valley of Lauterbrunnen. 

32. The Wetterhorn from Grindlewald. 

33. The Glacier of Grindlewald. 

34. Tunnel in the Glacier of Grindlewald. 



376 ILLUSTRATIONS. 

35. Entrance to the Via Mala. 

36. The Johannisberg, Via Mala. 

37. Spliigen. 

38. Entrance to the Stelvio Pass. 

39. Schloss, Stockalper, and the Rhone Valley. 

40. Schloss, Stockalper, Brieg. 

41. Swiss Chalets at Naters. 

42. The Morteratch Glacier. 

43. The Corner Glacier. 

44. The Hospices of St. Bernard and Mont Velan. 

45. Chamounix and Mont Blanc. 

46. Diligence on the Route bet. Chamounix and Geneva. 

47. The Mer de Glace, Chamounix. 

48. Ice Pyramid on the Glacier des Bossons, Chamounix. 

49. Miirren. 

50. Mont Blanc. 



SWITZERLAND. 



In exhibiting our series of fifty views of Switzer- 
land, we shall undoubtedly interest those of our friends 
who have never visited this beautiful land. We make 
this very positive assertion because the scenic re- 
sources of this wonderful country cannot be exhausted 
by any series of mountain views, though these are the 
chief attraction. The cities and villages, the gr#at 
engineering works, and last, but not least, the mighty 
glaciers, offer so much of pictorial interest that we have 
introduced a liberal number of each. We feel that this 
selection will serve to give a good general idea of the 
land of Switzerland, and afford a pleasant variety. 

Those who have been fortunate enough to make a 
trip through this country, "where every prospect 
pleases," will recognize many familiar places. Having 
arranged our views in about the order in which they 
would be seen by anyone 'traveling over the usual 
route, we may begin by looking at some of the cities. 

1. Panorama of Bale. — This beautiful and very 
characteristic Swiss town has som^etimes been called 
the ''Key to the Alps." It is finely situated on the 
River Rhine, in the northern part of Switzerland, 
where the country is not mountainous, but quite 
pastoral and gentle in character, when compared with 
the ruggedness of the southern districts. 

The town is divided into two parts by the Rhine, 
which flows swiftly along, and brings with it a delicious 
coolness from the mighty glaciers of the higher Alps. 

(377) 



37^ SWITZERLAND. 

Our view is taken from the smaller section of the town, 
or " Little Bale," as it is called, looking across the 
Rhine and the old bridge to the main part of the 
city. The celebrated hotel of '' The Three Kings " 
is seen at the right of the view. 

Bale is a wealthy and conservative old place. It 
still presents many of the features of the mediaeval 
German city, and is the abode of numerous retired 
merchants and people of means. On account of 
these picturesque features in the street architecture 
it is worthy of being visited, and is a fitting entry 
into the glories of the mountain region farther south. 
Our view gives a good idea of the river front, but, 
as is often the case in these old towns, the streets 
are too narrow for good photographing to be done 
in them. 

Contenting ourselves with this general panorama 
of Bale, we will now visit the town of Zurich. 

2. Zurich From the Quaibrucke. — The situation 
of this beautiful city is quite different from that of Bale, 
as it stands at the foot of the lake of Zurich, just on 
its outlet, as the River Limmat is called. 

Our picture has been taken from the Quai Bridge, 
the southernmost one of the six which cross the Lim- 
mat, and it stands directly upon the lake. We see how 
picturesquely the town is built on both sides of the 
Limmat, and can see one of the pretty modern bridges 
connecting the two portions in the middle distance. 
The town is well supplied with churches. We see the 
two towers of the Gross Munster at the right, and the 
very picturesque spire of the Frau Munster at the 
left. We also observe the Town Library (which con- 
tains some valuable antiquities), in a small building 



SWITZERLAND. 379 

looking like a chapel, and the pretty Sonnenquai, 
well shaded with trees, over to the right, near 
the Gross Munster. The river baths, which are a 
feature of all the larger Swiss towns, are seen on the 
left as a pair of long, low buildings. The constant 
influx of an immense quantity of clear, fresh water 
renders these baths very delightful, and they are 
largely patronized. 

The church of St. Peter, seen on the left, just be- 
yond the Frau Munster, was presided over for more 
than twenty years by Lavater. The celebrated Zwin- 
gli was incumbent of the Gross Munster from 15 19 
to 1 53 1. Zurich is a bustling and active centre of 
manufacturing industry in cotton and silk goods ; it 
is also celebrated for its schools, and may be called 
the chief centre of the intellect of German Switzer- 
land. 

3. Zurich. The Bridge and Lake. — Changing 
our position a little, we now get a good view of the 
splendid Quai Bridge on which we stood while pho- 
tographing our last view. We observe the plain, yet 
substantial manner in which the bridge is built, and 
the ample space provided for vehicles and for foot- 
passengers. We must ask our friends in the audience 
to take our word for it that the water which runs 
under the five spans of the bridge is clear, and of the 
most beautiful light green tint, quite different from 
the rivers seen in most places where there is as much 
manufacturing going on as there is in Zurich. 

The pretty and attractive character of the suburbs 
of Zurich can be seen in some degree on the left of the 
view, beyond the bridge. The country is beautifully 
diversified with copses of trees, well-built houses and 



380 SWITZERLAND, 

institutions, and water-courses ; the background 
being filled in with hills, often of considerable height. 
Much interesting matter, in the shape of historical 
reminiscences of the Reformation is to be found in 
this quaint, yet beautiful city. We could spend a 
good deal of time profitably here, but must hurry on 
to the south on our way to the mountains. 

4. Swiss Chalets. — The interesting features of Swit- 
zerland are not confined either to its great mountain 
ranges or to its wealthy and picturesque cities. Our 
route from Zurich to Lucerne takes us through a 
beautiful pastoral district, Avhere we often see the 
evidences of considerable wealth, while again, we 
pass through small hamlets, where the inhabitants are 
of the poorest class. 

Our picture shows us one of these villages where 
the people are all in very modest circumstances, but 
live in houses or *' chalets," as they are sometimes 
called, that are so pretty that we cannot pass them 
by without notice. 

A leading characteristic of these chalets is that they 
are strongly built. The foundations and the walls are 
of stone, well laid, and, as in the view before us, 
whitened with lime.- There is considerable room 
under the broad projecting eaves that is utilized for 
storing away farm implements of various kinds. 
There is by no means so much room in the interior 
of the chalet itself The families as a rule are large, 
and there is much crowding. We see that the sup- 
ply of wood for cooking purposes has been neatly 
piled near the door, where it gets the full force of 
the sun's heat to keep it dry, the overhanging eaves 
at the same time protecting it in great degree against 



SWITZERLAND. 38 1 

the rain. The eaves of the stables and cow-houses 
belonging to this chalet can be seen on the right 
hand. Across the road, and at a short distance be- 
yond, we observe one of the imposing turreted 
houses, which are not uncommon in the older Swiss 
villages. The large chalet at the left w^as probably 
built before the road was laid out, as can be seen 
from the angular direction in which it stands to the 
hne of the road. 

5. JLucerne. The Old Lantern and Bridge. — The 

City of Lucerne, at the foot of the lake of the same 
name, or as it is sometimes called, "The Lake of the 
Four Cantons," is one of the most charming in 
Europe, just as the lake is one of the most pictur- 
esque and beautiful. Although the grander and 
wilder scenery of the lake is found near its head, as 
w^e shall see in a few minutes, it may well be asked 
w^hether the surroundings of the City of Lucerne are 
not equally interesting in their way, the open reaches 
of the lake near the city affording views of the fine 
mountain ranges that cannot be had in the narrower 
parts at the foot. 

Our view is taken from the Theatre Quai, looking 
across the outlet of the lake or River Reuss, to the 
older portion of the town. The large tower is 
called the water-tower or lantern and is a well- 
preserved relic of the ancient fortifications of the 
town ; a part of these old ramparts is also to be 
seen on the hill back of the city. Some historians 
claim that the present name of the town — Lucerne, 
has been taken from this tower in the view before us, 
which in Latin was called lucerna, — a light-house. 



382 SWITZERLAND. 

and was formerly used as such. It is now a depos- 
tory for some of the archives of the city. 

The long, dark line crossing the picture just in the 
rear of the tower is one of the curiosities of the place,, 
and is known as the ** Capellbrucke." This stanch 
old bridge was built as long ago as the year 1303, and, 
in like manner with the Muhlenbrucke, a little far- 
ther down the stream, contains a number of quaint 
old paintings, supported on the braces just under 
the roof There are seventy-seven of these pictures 
in the Capellbrucke, and they represent various epi- 
sodes in the lives of St. Maurice and St. Leger, the 
patrons of the city. 

A promenade on this bridge is delightful on a warm 
summer's day ; the water runs with great swiftness, 
creating a cool refreshing breeze, and is of a fine 
emerald green color. 

6. The Lake Front, L.ucerne. — Our way from 
the quaint old Capellbrucke to the garden where the 
great carving of the lion, by Thorwaldsen is, takes 
us naturally along the lake front of the city. There 
are few walks in Europe more charming than this 
one. We can choose between the splendid pave- 
ments immediately under the great hotels, v/ith 
attractive shop windows at every step, and the more 
shaded walk under the double row of fine linden 
trees. This is seen as a dark line crossing the whole 
breadth of the picture, just above the water-line, and 
concealing the lower stories of the hotels. Should 
we choose the latter route we shall certainly admit 
that the views over the lake — the most beautiful in this 
beautiful land — with the traffic of the street just at a 
pleasant distance, and the interest we feel in watching 



SWITZERLAND. 385; 

foreign life and manners, both on the water and on 
shore, combine to render our promenade along the 
lake front of Lucerne something to remember for- 
ever. 

Indeed we can well afford, in imagination, to 
seat ourselves upon one of the numerous benches 
under the close-clipped, yet thickly-leaved lindens, 
and watch the steamers as they arrive from Fluelen,. 
Brunnen, Vitznau, and other picturesque points on 
the lake, and follow the motley groups of sight-seers 
as they land and make the best of their way to the 
Schweizerhof, the National, or some other hoteL 
Tourists from all parts of the world will here be seen,, 
and as we have before hinted, they are not the least 
interesting feature to be observed in a trip in Swit- 
zerland. 

The famous Schweizerhof Hotel, certainly unsur- 
passed, and perhaps unequalled in the world, stands 
on the other side of the linden trees, about in the 
centre of the view. The towers in the rear are on 
the old wall, back of the city ; are very well pre- 
served, dating from the fourteenth century. 

7. Thorwaldsen's Ldon, Lucerne. — Compared 
with other cities and towns of Europe, Lucerne cannot 
boast of much in the way of objects of art. Apart 
from some ancient specimens of stained glass and a 
fine organ in the Cathedral there is but one attraction ; 
this one however, is unique, and has a world-wide 
celebrity. The figure of a lion in the agonies of 
death cut out in the face of a sandstone rock immed- 
iately above a sequestered pool of water is so entirely 
out of the common, so striking, and so weird in 



384 SWITZERLAND. 

effect, that we can well understand the interest it 
excites even in those who have never seen it. 

Let us say, that a good photograph, such as we 
here have before us, gives a far better idea of this 
beautiful monument than any model no matter how 
well made. 

This colossal figure is a monument to the memory of 
the Swiss Guards who bravely defended the Royal 
Family of France at the Tuilleries in Paris from the 
attacks of the mob, during the Revolution of 1792. 
The lion, wounded to the death, is seen protecting a 
shield with the Bourbon lilies by means of his paw. 
The carving is magnificently done in a manner quite 
worthy of the exacted nobility of the design. Thor- 
waldsen's original model may still be seen in a shop 
not far away from the place ; and we must not omit to 
mention the name of Ahorn of Constance who per- 
formed the difficult labor of carving the great figure 
out of the living rock. 

Its dimensions are twenty-eight feet in length by 
eighteen in height. The names of the officers who 
perished are cut on the rock just below, and are often- 
times partially concealed by the ferns and creeping 
plants. These frequently become tinged with various 
colors from frost, when the effect is even more pic- 
turesque. 

It is now time for us to start on our trip up the lake 
towards the great Saint Gotthard, and our first stop 
will be at the 

8. Hotel on the Rigi Kulm, Lake of Lucerne. 

— There is, perhaps, no other mountain in the world 
so often visited as the Rigi. Our own Mount Wash- 
ington in New Hampshire is the greatest rival of the 



SWITZERLAND. 385 

Rigi in point of numbers of visitors, being- one of the 
few instances in which there is direct railway com- 
munication to the summit from large cities. 

The Rigi Kulm or summit is reached by a railway 
very similar to that on Mount Washington, the ascent 
being one foot in every four, and the same arrange- 
ment of toothed wheels and rails employed. The 
speed is about three miles per hour. Charming 
views are obtained on the way up, the interest increas- 
ing as the train proceeds. 

The Rigi Kulm is an open plateau of considerable 
size covered with grass and walks an elevation of 
5931 feet above sea-level, thus being higher than any 
mountain in. Great Britain. The height above the 
Lake of Lucerne is 4478 feet. In the picture, the 
Kulm is at the left, some distance beyond the hotel. 

During the summer season the hotel is crowded to 
overflowing, particularly in the mornings and even- 
ings. The sunsets and sunrises are the chief attraction; 
a horn being blown every clear morning at about four 
o'clock to awaken the guests in time for the rising. 
The views of the great snowy peaks of Switzerland, 
and of the lakes of Lucerne and Zugat the mountain's 
foot, are wonderfully fine. 

The value of land even at this great height is more 
than might be imagined. It is stated that the plot of 
ground measuring 96x55 feet, on which the hotel is 
built, cost ;^io,ooo. 

9. Old Cottages at Gersau, Lake of Ijiicerne. — 

Continuing our sail up the lake towards Fluelen, we 
stop for a moment at the characteristic and pretty 
village of Gersau, which lies at the foot of one of the 
spurs of the Rigi. 



.386 SWITZERLAND. 

The village together with a very small patch of 
land including not more than six square miles, was 
-once an independent State, and continued so for 
four hundred years. Murray's Guide to Switzer- 
land gives the following historical account: " The 
people of Gersau bought their freedom in 1390 with 
a sum of 690 pounds of pfennigs, scraped together 
after years of hard toil to satisfy the Lords of Moos, 
•citizens of Lucerne, whose serfs they had previously 
been. They maintained their independence apart 
from any canton, and were governed by a landa- 
manan and council, chosen from among themselves, 
until the French occupied Switzerland in 1798, since 
which they have been united with canton Schwyz. 
Though Gersau possessed a criminal jurisdiction of 
its own, together with a gallows long left standing, no 
instance of a capital execution occurred during the 
whole of its existence as a separate State." 

The cottage or chalet in the middle of the picture 
is a fair specimen of the older style of plain Swiss 
w^ooden house. The white portion at the bottom is 
stone coated with lime ; all the upper part, however, 
is of wood. The house at the right is of stone through- 
out. By looking closely at the former, we can see 
the overhanging stories and projecting eaves that 
give these older Swiss chalets such a comfortable and 
picturesque appearance. The wood not being paint- 
ed, turns a fine deep brown color with age, and con- 
trasts beautifully with the white walls below and the 
green trees surrounding it. 

10. The Axenstrasse and the Alps-, Lake of 
liucerne. — This famous road gives the traveler a fine 
opportunity of seeing the scenery all along the Bay 



SWITZERLAND. 387 

ofUri, as this portion of the lake is named, and which 
is remarkable for its grand steep mountain-sides. 
The lake narrows rapidly until it comes to its head 
at Fluelen, the little town seen just at the base of the 
high cone-shaped mountain with the snow on its top. 
The Axenstrasse, which in the picture is seen to be 
several hundred feet above the water, descends to 
the town and then continues on through Altdorf, 
Amsteg and other villages to Andermatt and Hos- 
penthal, making a rapid ascent on the way. 

On the opposite side of the lake, a short distance 
above the spot where our view is taken, is the Rutli, 
or meadow, where the Swiss patriots took oath to 
fight their enemies to the last (November 7th, 1307) ; 
and not far away is a large isolated rock in the lake, 
Tv^ith an inscription to the German poet, Schiller. 

The charming view before us represents one of the 
great engineering feats in the matter of road con- 
struction, together with the beautiful landscape for 
which, when combined, Switzerland is justly famous. 
The Lake of Lucerne, or lake of the four forest can- 
tons of Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden and Lucerne, is 
very irregular in shape but surrounded by lofty 
mountains, particularly in that portion where our 
view is made. The half-historical, half-mythical 
legend of William Tell and the apple is located near 
this spot, where a rustic chapel on the lake shore was 
built in commemoration of the hero by the Canton 
of Uri in 1388. 

Let us now go a short distance down the road 
towards the tunnel or gallery as they call it. 

11. Gallery of the Axenstrasse, looking- towards 
Fluelen. — We can get from this picture some idea of 



388 SWITZERLAND. 

the immense amount of work laid out on this splendid 
road, and of the noble views of the lake and moun- 
tains which it affords. The portion shown in the 
view is a "gallery" or half-tunnel; the road running 
so near the surface of the rock that the outer portions 
have been broken away leaving a sort of roof over- 
head. The continuation of the road, through a tunnel 
where it pierces more deeply into the rock, is seen at 
the extreme left of the picture. 

An uncommon place like this would command 
attention anywhere on account of its peculiar con- 
struction, but the magnificent views from the openings 
of the gallery confer an interest upon it that is unique. 
It must be remembered that we are now at the head 
of the Lake of Lucerne, and surrounded by the steep 
rocky mountains which, as before remarked, close it 
in. Anyone standing near the stone guards below 
the openings so as to be able to have an unobstructed 
view could see the Uri-Rothstock and other fine 
mountains opposite ; from our present standpoint we 
can see the symmetrical Bristenstock in the distance, 
and by looking closely, a few whitish spots which 
mark the situation of the town of Fluelen, at which 
we will take a closer look in our next slide. It will 
be observed that we are high above the waters of the 
lake, a fact which adds materially to the picturesque 
interest of the locality. 

12. Fliielen. — We may now imagine that we have 
continued on through the tunnel seen in our last 
view, and descended several hundreds of feet, until 
we are almost upon the level of the water, and quite 
close to the town of Fluelen. There are few towns 



SWITZERLAND. 389 

in Switzerland so beautifully situated, and surrounded 
by such imposing and lovely natural scenery. 

This view has been taken in precisely the same 
direction as the preceding one, the only difference 
being, as we have already said, that we are' lower 
down, and somewhat nearer the town. The sym- 
metrical Bristenstock, with its snow-covered sides,, 
which we saw from the gallery a few moments ago, 
we now see again, right in the centre of the picture, 
with its peak lost in the gathering storm clouds. 
Other high mountains are seen on the right and left,, 
which were hidden by the stonework of the gallery in 
our former view. 

There is no interest connected to Fluelen apart from 
its beautiful situation and surroundings. Our picture 
is a characteristic bit of the truly ideal Swiss land- 
scape. The finely cultivated grass-fields, the pretty, 
neat houses and well-kept roads, the tall poplar trees, 
and the noble lake at the foot of the superb snow- 
capped mountains, together form an ensemble which 
we may well call "Picturesque Fluelen." 

A few miles further on, brings us to the 

13. Saint Gotthard TunneJ, at Goscliciien. — It 

might not at first be supposed that the picture now on 
the screen represents one of the triumphs of modern 
engineering. We here have a view of the northera 
or Swiss end of the great tunnel which underlies the 
old St. Gotthard stage or diligence route. It was 
built in order that direct rail communication might 
be made between Italy and Switzerland ; the ends 
being respectively at Airolo in the former, and at 
Goschenen in the latter country. Its total length 
between the points named is nine and a quarter miles. 
The cost was ;^ii,35o,ooo. The work was begun ia 



390 SWITZERLAND. 

June, 1872, on the Swiss side, the point seen in our 
view. About four weeks after, the work was simi- 
larly started on the Italian side, and was continued 
for nearly eight years, being finished February 29th, 
1880. • The number of workmen employed per day 
varied from twenty-five hundred to thirty-four hun- 
dred. 

The tunnel is twenty-eight feet wide, and twenty- 
one feet in height. It is finished in stone and is well 
supplied with fresh air. There is a double line of 
tracks throughout. The express time for passing 
through the tunnel is sixteen minutes. 

The stream of water seen to the right is the River 
Reuss, which here makes a very repid descent. The 
cloudy appearance at the tunnel's m.outh in the cen- 
tre of the picture is smoke from a train that has just, 
entered. 

Although business is much facilitated by the tun- 
nel, the traveler passing through it is compelled to 
forego the magnificent scenery of the St. Gotthard 
Pass, which is ranked by many as one of the finest 
passes in Switzerland for views. 

14. The Saint' Gotthard Pass.— The picture now 
on the screen gives a good idea of that portion of the 
Saint Gotthard stage-route lying just below the 
Devil's Bridge, which forms the subject of our next 
view. The exceedingly wild and precipitous slopes 
of the hills on either side of the route are plainly 
distinguishable, and render it easy to imagine the 
necessity of protecting the road against the slides and 
avalanches that are of very frequent occurence in this 
region. One of the graceful serpentine loops made 
by the road as it descends is seen in the foreground 



SWITZERLAND. 39 1 

of the view, a small portion at the bottom not 
being included. By following the road as it pro- 
ceeds along the left bank of the stream, one of the 
avalanche tunnels is seen, its entrance looking like a 
semi-circular black spot, and small in size, owing to 
its distance from the camera. By looking more 
closely the tunnel is seen to be of some considerable 
length, and very strongly built to prevent the land- 
slides which rush down here from doing damage to it. 
A still closer examination shows a small stream of 
water tumbling down the mountain side, on the rough 
rocks left by the last landslide, and after crossing the 
roof of the tunnel, proceeding to join the River 
Reuss below. The latter can be seen in the lower 
middle portion of the picture for a small portion of 
its course ; the road is situated higher and to the 
left, and although narrower, can be more plainly dis- 
tinguished. -The scenery increases in wildness as we 
ascend to the Devil's Bridge, which may be said to 
be the culminating point of interest of the route. 

At the commencement of this century the road 
was a mere bridle-path, the work of constructing a 
regular carriage-way not being completed until 1832. 
The old route was much traveled ; it has been esti- 
mated that sixteen thousand persons and nine thous- 
and horses crossed the pass every year. So far as 
transportation of freight is concerned, the railroad 
which lies underneath, and of which we had a view 
in our last slide, has already superseded the carriage- 
way ; travelers of all classes, however, who are not 
pressed for time, will prefer the open stage-route for 
the sake of the fine views, and avoid the long, smoky, 
dark passage of the tunnel. 



392 SWITZERLAND. 

15. Saint Gottliard Pass.— The Devil's Bridge, 

— We have here a fair view of the most picturesque 
portion of the Pass. The River Reuss descends with 
such quickness as to form a sort of lengthened cas- 
cade, and also makes a sharp bend to the right to 
get around the enormous rocky precipice, the bottom 
of which is seen in the right-hand upper corner of 
the picture. The roadway, of which a small portion 
can be seen at the right, lower down, has been 
blasted out of the solid rock. The new bridge is a 
fine granite structure, with a single arch of twenty- 
six feet span, and erected in 1830. The old bridge, 
seen just below it, is no longer used. 

The wild and romantic surroundings of this spot 
never fail to strike the attention of travelers, but there 
is also a melancholy interest attached to the bridge and 
and to the " Urner Loch," which is a short tunnel just 
above to the left, great loss of life having taken 
place there in 1799, in a battle between the French, 
Austrians and Russians. " On the morning of Sep- 
tember 25th, the Russians forced the passage of the 
Urner Loch with severe loss, but were again checked 
at the Devil's Bridge, which was stoutly defended by 
the French. The latter attempted to blow up the 
bridge, but only succeeded in destroying a stone 
embankment by which it was approached. Nothing 
daunted, the Russians gallantly descended, under 
galling fire to the bed of the Reuss, succeeded in 
crossing it, and clambering up the opposite bank, 
after a fierce conflict compelled their enemy to retreat 
to the Lake of Lucerne." 

After passing through the tunnel, a short distance 
brings us out into the mountain valley of Urseren. 
Passing through to Andermatt, we arrive at 



SWITZERLAND. 393 

16. Hospentlial. — This characteristic Swiss vil- 
lage is situated in the Ursersen valley, near the junc- 
tion of the roads leading to the Vurka Pass, and the 
•St. Gotthard route, which we have thus far followed 
from the Lake of Lucerne. It stands at the high 
elevation of 4,800 feet, and is noted for its invigor- 
ating and pure atmosphere ; not quite so cold as at 
the summit of the pass, but just as bracing. 

In fine weather nothing is more delightful than a 
stay in this locality, but the elevation is so great 
that fogs and mist frequently fill the entire valley, 
and conceal the mountains around for days together, 
thus rendering in-door life desirable, if not impera- 
tive. As is usually the case in places where fogs and 
mist are present a great part of the time, the atmos- 
phere is remarkably transparent and clear when they 
have lifted. Distance is almost annihilated, and the 
outlines of the surrounding Alps are clean-cut, and 
show superb effects of color, particularly at sunrise 
and sunset. 

Our photograph shows us the newer and more 
substantially built portion of the little town, together 
with the church, a more pretentious building, per- 
haps, than the majority of Swiss villages possess. 
The brawling cataract passes down under the bridge 
to feed the River Reuss, and so finds its way into the 
Lake of Lucerne. The sharp, rocky peaks, partly 
concealed in mist, near the upper left-hand corner, 
belong to the Spitzberge, which rises to a height of 
over ten thousand feet. 

17. Hospentlial and Andermatt. — The picture 
now before us gives a view of the Valley of Urseren, 
with a portion of the town of Hospenthal, looking 



394 SWITZERLAND. 

back in the direction over which we have traveled 
from the Lake of Lucerne. Our photographer has 
gone up on a knoll back of the church, and made 
the view as nearly as possible at right angles 
to the one which has just left the screen. The 
pleasant little town of Andermatt can be seen just to 
the right of the roof of the transept of the church, 
with a long, straight stretch of road below leading in 
that direction. The very steep, rocky bluff on the 
mountain to the left of the church tower descends to 
the Urner Loch, or tunnel, of which we spoke a few 
moments ago ; the Devil's Bridge lying a little farther 
down to the left. A close look at that portion of the 
mountain that overlies the town of Andermatt will 
show a number of zigzag lines, which mark the 
ascent of the road on the Oberalp Route, as it is 
called. At least two thousand feet of ascent have 
to be made from the ridge of Andermatt before 
reaching the Oberalp Pass ; this takes the traveler 
quite into the clouds, and it is seldom that these high 
latitudes are entirely free from some traces of them ; 
a large mass is seen resting on the top of the distant 
mountain, although the weather was exceptionally 
fine on the day when the view was made. The 
entrance to the Urner Loch, to which we before 
called attention, is a favorite gathering place for 
these clouds, which often boil up in immense masses 
from the cold, rocky bluffs near the Devil's Bridge, 
and ascend to join with others that, like those in the 
picture, constantly hang over the sharp pinnacles 
above. 

18. Berne. — Our travels among the high moun- 
tains and lakes may now be agreeably varied by vis- 



SWITZERLAND. 395 

iting some of the beautiful towns — small cities they 
really are — which are situated rather towards the 
central portions of Switzerland. 

The panoramic view of Berne now before us gives 
an excellent idea of the romantic surroundings and 
beautiful situation of the town — or at least a portion 
of it. The photographer has taken his stand on the 
high ground of the Altenberg, at a point which com- 
mands the beautiful sweep of the river Aar, which is 
crossed by two bridges. The further one, the 
Nydeckbrucke, is built largely of granite, is 900 feet 
long, and has a fine central span or arch 150 feet wide 
and 93 feet high, which we see very distinctly in the 
picture. 

The better portions of Berne are built on a con- 
siderably higher level than that of the houses we see 
in the picture before us, and the great Nydeck bridge 
was constructed on this level to avoid the inconven- 
iences of ascent and descent. Berne is the capital of 
the canton of the same name, which ranks second 
in size and first in population of all the cantons, or 
states, of Switzerland. Since the year 1849 it has 
been the seat of government. Most of the foreign 
ministers also reside here. The population of the 
city is 44,000. 

To get a little better idea of this charming old 
place, let us imagine that we have crossed the Ny- 
deck bridge and continued our walk a short dis- 
in the same direction. 

19. The Street of Justice and Clock- Tower, 
Berne. — A very few moments from the bridge brings 
us to the interesting and picturesque view we now 
have before us. We are standing in the heart of the 



396 SWITZERLAND. 

city, and on our way hither have observed the sub- 
stantial, yet uncommon manner of building which 
prevails here. The houses on either side of the 
street are of stone throughout, and have arcades in 
the first story which connect and form a long, covered 
walk. The ground floors back of these arcades are 
devoted to shops of various kinds, which are deficient 
in light, as always happens in these situations. The 
bed of the street is a model of magnificent paving, as 
can be seen in the picture, and the cleanliness of the 
whole town is highly praiseworthy. 

In the rear of one of the numerous water fountains 
with which this portion of the town is supplied, and 
which are very quaint in design, our photograph 
shows us the famous old clock-tower, with its large 
dial and turret above. The hours are struck on the 
gong in the open part of the turrqt by a figure that 
that can be seen on close examination, and there are 
quaint puppets of bears marching in procession, 
cocks crowing and flapping their wings, and Father 
Time with hour-glass and sceptre, which take a part 
in the striking of the clock, and always attract 
crowds of the idle and curious to witness it. 

This curious old tower was one of the defences of 
the outer wall of the town, and was built in the 
twelfth century. Since that time, however, the town 
has increased in size until it now stands nearly in its 
centre. 

20. The Hotel de Ville, Berne. — This pretty mod- 
ern structure is in the southwestern portion of the 
city, and includes the different public offices and 
departments of the Swiss Legislature. The diet is 
composed of two bodies ; the Standerath, which has 



SWITZERLAND. 397 

two representatives from each of the twenty-two 
cantons of Switzerland, and the Nationalrath, which 
has one deputy or representative for every 20,000 in- 
habitants, or fraction over 10,000. 

Before our departure from this pleasant city let us 
very briefly review its history and industries. Berne 
was founded in 1191 by Duke Berthold V., of Zahrin- 
gen, and became a free city of the empire in 12 18, 
and finally secured its independence in 1339. At one 
time, not long after this date, it was ruled by tyran- 
nical patrician conservatives, and liberty was a thing 
unknown. The power fell from the grasp of this 
party never to return to it again in 1831. The ar- 
moral badge of Berne is the bear, the name having 
this signification in the old German language. There 
are always some fine specimens of this animal to be 
seen in the bear-pits, near the Nydeck bridge. The 
town has the enviable reputation of possessing 
the most numerous and best appointed charitable 
institutions of any in Europe. Besides the more 
usual industries followed in other cities of its kind, 
Berne is famous for its watch-making and wood-carv- 
ing, being the centre of trade in these articles for the 
populous and busy canton of which it is the capital. 

21. Panorama of Freiburgr. — Our route to the 
Lake of Geneva leads us directly past the quaint 
town of Freiburg, so we will not pass it without a 
short visit. The panoramic view of the city now 
before us is seen from the railroad, aad is very strik- 
ing. The city is seen to be finely situated on high 
ground above the R Sarine, which is crossed by 

a graceful yet strong suspension bridge. By looking 
very closely we can see the immense sweep of the 



39^ SWITZERLAND. 

cables supporting the bridge, and which are 870 feet 
in length. This magnificent effort of engineering 
science was completed under the supervision of M, 
Chaley, of Lyons, in 1834. 

It is almost an universal rule that towns which are 
famous for their picturesque situations are better 
looked at from a distance, and that too near an 
acquaintance with them reveals narrow quarters, 
crowded and dirty streets, and other unpleasant 
features. Freiburg is no exception to this rule, 
being very different from Berne, with its clean thor- 
oughfares. After our visit to the latter town there is 
little to interest us in Freiberg except the cathedral, 
which we see occupying the centre of the picture, 
and can examine better from our present point of 
view than if we crossed over into the town. It is 
named for Saint Nicholas, and is a handsome speci- 
men of Flamboyant-gothic architecture, having been 
conimenced in 1285, and undergone the usual vicissi- 
tudes and restorations which seem to fall to the lot of 
these great monuments of religious art. The cathe- 
dral contains a very large and fine organ, said to be 
one of the finest in Europe ; it was built by Aloys 
Moser, and has 7,800 pipes. 

22. The Old Fountain, Freiburg-.— Should we 
determine to brave the unpleasantnesses of the town 
and cross the bridge to have a closer look at it, we 
shall not do better than to walk a little on the out- 
skirts, in the neighborhood of the old fortifications. 
The old fountain on the right is of about the same 
date as the remnants of the city wall, which we see 
leading up to the little white chapel in the middle of 
the view. 



SWITZERLAND. 399 

This picture takes us right in among the people, 
showing us how the fountain is the chief gathering- 
place for the neighborhood. In old towns like this 
the convenience of water-spigots in the houses is 
scarcely dreamed of; everybody coming to the foun- 
tain to obtain the supply of water needed for domes- 
tic uses, and, at times, bringing whatever vegetables 
are to be cooked for the day to the same place to 
wash them. Gossiping and news retailing here go 
on in plenty, and crowds of idle men and boys are 
always loafing about, as we see in the picture. 

The old walls in this locality are quite well pre- 
served, and are always full of interest to us who 
know of no such things as walled towns — at least in 
the ancient sense. 

23. Geneva From Rousseau's Island. — We have 
now a few moments only in the city of Geneva, 
before starting on our sail up the lake of the same 
name. We feel that our time will be better spent on 
the water, enjoying the unrivalled scenery for which 
this sheet of water is so famous, than in the cities and 
towns to whose unpleasantnesses we have already 
alluded. 

The city and lake of Geneva are probably familiar 
by name to almost everybody. Its beautiful situation 
on the outlet of the lake reminds us of Zurich, but 
things here are on a greater scale. The color of the 
water here is intensely blue, and its beauty was 
remarked upon by the poet Byron many years ago. 
Our view includes a block of fine buildings on the 
Quai du Mont Blanc, with the Hotel de Russie at the 
corner on the left, and a portion of the pretty little 
island called after the philosopher Rousseau, on the 



400 SWITZERLAND. 

right. This island lies nearly in the middle of the 
swiftly flowing Rhone, and is approached by a short 
corridor from the Pont des Bergues, another fine 
bridge which crosses the river a short distance from 
the splendid Pont de Mont Blanc, at which we will 
soon get a closer look. In our present view it is 
seen in the middle distance. 

No lovelier spot in v/hich to spend an hour of a 
summer's morning can be imagined than this Island 
of Rousseau. We must not forget that the quai and 
bridge called by the name ''Mont Blanc," command 
fine views of this great snow-peak, though distant 
nearly fifty miles. The mountain lies too far to the 
right to be seen in our picture, but we notice the 
presence of the tame swans, so common in these 
places, in a pool close down in the foreground of the 
view. 

24. The New Bridge, Geneva. — Our present view 
is taken at not a very great distance from the preceding 
one. In the picture now before us, Rousseau's Island 
is in our rear. We observe a portion of one of the 
finely built blocks of houses which ornament this 
section of the city, and enough of the architecture 
of the bridge itself to see that it is a structure 
upon which first class workmanship has been ex- 
pended. 

But the chief interest of this picture, we need 
hardly say, is not in the immovable portions. We 
have taken special pains to reproduce the movable 
parts, v/hich consist, as may easily be seen, of various 
sorts of water fowl, and numerous pigeons, that con- 
stantly fly about the bridge and settle on its piers. 
All of these birds are very tame, particularly the 



SWITZERLAND. 4OI 

swans, which will come to any one for a morsel of 
bread. Four of them are floating near the point of the 
right-hand pier. The ducks, of course, appear much 
smaller, though there are more of them, and it is not 
very easy at first to tell which are ducks and which 
pigeons. 

25. Nyon and the Cliateau. Lake Geneva. — 

Having in imagination shipped ourselves with our 
photographic apparatus on one of the comfortable 
lake steamers, we proceed up along the western shore 
and pass the pretty town of Nyon. We make an 
instantaneous view of it, for we have no time to stop. 
The waves and curious broken reflections on the 
water show how rapidly the picture has been taken. 
The camera has just been rested on the hand-rail of 
the boat for a moment while the instantaneous 
trigger is pulled. 

Nyon dates from the time of the Romans, and 
several relics of this period are still to be seen here. 
They called it Colonia Julia Equestris, or Novio- 
dunum. The ancient castle seen up on the hill, has 
walls ten feet in thickness. It was built in the twelfth 
century, or a little before the Castle of Chillon, where 
we shall arrive in a few moments, only making three 
stops, the first one of which is at 

26. The Cathedral of Lausanne. Lake Geneva. 

— The town of Lausanne is quite as old as Nyon, but 
is a much more important place, and presents an 
imposing appearance from the lake. It is the capital 
of the Canton de Vaud, and has a population of 
30,000. It is noted for its excellent schools. 



402 SWITZERLAND. 

The cathedral, of which we here see the eastern end, 
is a fine building, dating from about the year 1270. 
It was consecrated in presence of Rudolph of Haps- 
burgby Pope Gregory X., and has been well restored 
by the late lamented Viollet-le-Duc. A discussion, 
celebrated in the local history, took place here in 1536. 
Viret, Farel and Calvin took part in it, and the result 
was that the Episcopal See was transferred to Freiburg, 
the Canton of Vaud was separated from the Church of 
Rome, and the supremacy of Savoy was overthrown. 
The interior contains a number of fine monuments. 
The terrace on which the cathedral stands commands 
a superb view of the lake. 

A short walk into the town brings us to the house 
in which the celebrated Gibbon finished his great 
work entitled " History of the Decline and Fall of 
the Roman Empire." 

27. The Market-Plaee, Vevey.— Continuing our 
isail not more than a dozen miles up the lake, we 
reach the charming town of Vevey. We here have a 
view of the market-place, and can see the every-day 
life of the people, which is an advantage only to be 
obtained by photography when used instantaneously. 

A very ancient association or guild, whose object 
is the cultivation of the grapevine, is still in existence 
at Vevey. Those farmers who can show the best and 
most flourishing vineyards to the inspectors who are 
sent out every spring and fall, receive rewards of 
merit from the guild. 

The association gives a festival about once in fifteen 
years, which is known as the Fete des Vignerous. 
Hundreds of persons take part in it. The wines 
made in this district are very good, and the steep 

\ 



SWITZERLAND. 403 

hills on the lakeside, at which we shall get a closer 
look in our next view, are terraced to the height of 
hundreds of feet above the water with growing vines. 

28. Inclined Railroad. Territet-Glion. Lake 
Geneva. — We are now almost at the head of this 
beautiful lake, and have not failed to observe how 
the almost flat banks of the lower part near Geneva 
have given place to higher and higher hillsides, some 
of them, like the one before us, being very steep. 

The lakeside at this place is thickly populated, and 
in fact is an almost continuous village. A large popu- 
lation is also found in the small hamlets situated on 
the hills high above the lake, and far back from it. 
Glion is one of these, and the railroad leads directly 
to it; it is about 1200 feet above the water, and com- 
mands magnificent views over the lake in all direc- 
tions. It is a favorite resort for travelers who desire 
to spend a short time in recuperating from the 
fatigues of continued change of place amidst beauti- 
ful scenery and in pure air. The construction of the 
railway has vastly increased the business of Glion, 
which was formerly a very quiet place, accessible 
only by carriage from Montreux, after a tedious 
ascent of nearly two hours. 

The heat in summer here is very great. Even at 
such high elevations as Glion it is very trying. The 
peculiarities of soil and climate render this portion 
of Switzerland very well adapted for the cultivation 
of the grape, and excellent wines are made in this 
neighborhood. There is a *' grape cure " for inval- 
ids in the autumn. A close look at the view will 
show us the vines trained on their sticks, and pretty 
well covering the hillside. 



404 SWITZERLAND. . 

29. The Castle of Clilllon.— We shall have to 
proceed hardly a mile from our last stopping place 
before arriving at this famous castle ; after visiting 
which we must hurry on into the Bernese Oberland. 

Our photograph gives us as satisfactory an idea of 
this world-renowned building as it is possible to 
obtain without actually going to the spot. Bearing 
in mind that we are on the lake shore, at the foot of 
the high, steep hills spoken of in connection with 
our last view, it will be easily understood that the 
whole situation and surroundings of the Castle of 
Chillon are pre-eminently picturesque and beautiful. 

The castle is built on a rock which is nearly sur- 
rounded by deep water, although close to the shore. 
It was built by Amadeus IV. of Savoy, in 1238. It 
was long used as a prison, and it is stated on good 
authority that a number of persons connected with 
the Reformation in its earlier years were here con- 
fined. Byron's sonnet on Bounivard, the '* Prisoner 
of Chillon," is doubtless familiar to almost everyone, 
and, as is usually the case with these efforts of liter- 
ature which are primarily intended to work upon the 
emotions and sensibilities, the poem has but a very 
slender historical foundation. Great cruelties must 
have been practiced here, nevertheless. The " out- 
liette" was a trap-door opening on a small stairway 
of three steps at the upper part of one of the castle 
towers. The prisoner, blindfolded, was instructed to 
walk downstairs and have the bandage removed from 
his eyes at the bottom. With the fatal belief that his 
deliverance was at hand, he would walk down the 
three steps and immediately fall an immense distance 
into the lake, his body being cut to pieces by knives 
set in the walls as it fell by them. 



SWITZERLAND. 405 

30. Interlaken and the Jiingfrau. — Our en- 
trance upon the glories of the Bernese Oberland 
may be very fittingly made from Interlaken, of 
which we have a view now before us. The town 
with its population of somewhat over four thous- 
and, is a centre for tourists f]:om all portions 
of the globe, and consists largely of hotels. Its 
situation, as seen in the picture, is very charming. 
The River Aare, which we observe close in the fore- 
ground, connects the two celebrated lakes of Thun 
and of Brienz. The name " Interlaken," or " Between 
the Lakes," is therefore a well-chosen one. 

The majestic Jungfrau, the chief mountain of the 
Bernese Oberland range, is well seen in our view, 
and constitutes the chief feature of interest in the 
vicinity of Interlaken. Only that portion of the 
great peak that is covered by eternal snows can 
be seen in the picture. The lower wooded slopes 
being cut off from' view by the rounded hill just 
below. It must not be forgotten that the view now 
before us includes a vast amount of subject ; the dis- 
tance to the summit of the Jungfrau being about 
twelve miles in a direct line, and the height of the 
same more than thirteen thousand feet. The preci- 
pitous slopes of the nearer hills, just below the sum.- 
mit, mark the entrance to the valley of Lauterbrunnen, 
and the large white spot at the foot of the rounded 
hill to the left is the Hotel Jungfraublick, celebrated 
for its fine view of the mountains. The sunset effects 
here are remarkably fine ; the reflections of the rosy 
or golden light from the snows of the great peak 
illuminate everything that faces the mountain. 



4o6 SWITZERLAND. 

31. The Valley of L.auterbruiinen. — The word 

" Lauterbrunnen " means "nothing but brooks." 
Fanciful as it may seem to give such a name to a val- 
ley, the use of the term will be abundantly justified 
if a visit to the locality be made after a heavy rain- 
storm. As the photograph shows, the sides of the 
valley consist of very steep, rocky walls, and although 
there are numerous waterfalls there at almost all 
times, a smart rainfall at once changes the hillsides 
into literally ''nothing but brooks." 

The valley is a couple of miles long and about 
three-quarters of a mile wide. The *' Staubbach," 
the most celebrated of the waterfalls, descends from 
an overhanging precipice nearly a thousand feet in 
height, and when mists float around the upper por- 
tions of the rocky walls, the sight of this cascade 
descending, apparently from the sky, is a very im- 
pressive one. 

The distance hither from_ Interlaken is eight miles, 
jand the ride is a succession of beautiful views. Like 
Grindlewald, the little town of Lauterbrunnen is a 
great centre for tourists, and is overrun with peddlers 
and beggars, among whom we frequently observe the 
unsightly ^ott7^e, a swelling of the glands in the neck, 
which sometimxcs grows so large as to hang down 
.over the breast. The beautiful carved woodwork, 
for which Switzerland has so long been famous may 
be had here in plenty. 

The mountains seen at the upper end of the valley 
are a continuation of the Jungfrau range, to which 
we are now very near. 

32. The Wetterhorn From Grindlewald. — The 

usual route from the Valley of Lauterbrunnen to 



SWITZERLAND. 407 

the Valley of Grindlewald lies over the famous Wen- 
gern Alp. All travelers agree that this excursion is 
unrivalled in Switzerland for the views it affords of 
the Jungfrau and of its glaciers. The descent from 
the summit of the Wengern Alp is very interesting, 
and the great mass of the Wetterhorn, which we have 
here in the picture before us is a prominent feature 
in the extensive prospect. 

Grindlewald has much the same general character 
as Lauterbrunnen. It is a great centre for tourists 
from all parts of the world, and in the summer 
months is an exceedingly busy place. The native 
population numbers about three thousand. The 
traveler on arriving at Grindlewald feels that he is in 
the heart of the Alps, and the views are indeed stu- 
pendous. The Wetterhorn, which forms the subject 
of our picture, rises to a height of 12,149 feet — 
almost equalling the Jungfrau. Other enormous 
mountain masses, scarcely inferior in elevation, 
bound the southern portion of the valley and shut 
in the view. Excursions from Grindlewald have to 
be made either by mule or by '' chaise-a-porteur," a 
sort of litter, on which persons are carried in a sitting 
posture. There is only one wagon road, and this 
leads back to Lauterbrunnen. 

The glaciers of Grindlewald formerly bad a great 
reputation, and indeed are still interesting, as we 
shall see in a moment ; but they have partaken in 
that general shrinkage in the size of all the Swiss 
glaciers, which has been so noticeable in the past few 
years. A small portion of the Upper Glacier of 
Grindlewald is seen in the picture near the foot of the 
mountain to the right ; but the one we shall now 



4o8 SWITZERLAND. 

examine is situated still farther around to the rights 
at the base of the Mettenberg. 

33. The Glacier of Grindlewald— We here have 
a view of the lower one, which descends in a gloomy 
ravine between the Mettenberg and the Eiger. 

A few very brief remarks upon these great natural 
wonders may not be out of place. The picturesque 
charm of Alpine scenery is much increased by these 
masses of ice descending into the beautiful, cultivated 
fields. The great eternal snow region is far above, 
and may be considered as the material or supply from 
which the glacier is formed. It is well known that 
glacier ice is different in structure from ordinary ice. 
The alternations between the sun's heat and the 
freezing that sets in again during the night, are 
believed to gradually change the loose, powdery 
snow of the higher altitudes into ice. The thickness 
of the glaciers is difficult to estimate, but it is be- 
lieved in many cases to be several hundred feet, at 
least. 

There are somewhat more than four hundred and 
fifty glaciers in the Swiss Alps. The one before us 
is remarkable for having descended to the lowest 
point of any of them, having on one occasion reached 
the very low level of 3,500 feet above the sea. The 
next lowest were the two great glaciers at Chamounix, 
which came down to 3,660 feet. 

Having now had a good look at the outside of a 
Swiss glacier, we will proceed to examine its interior. 

34. Tunnel in the Glacier of Grindlewald. — It 

has been a custom for many years to cut tunnels 
several hundred feet long directly into the glacier- 



SWITZERLAND. 4O9 

ice. As the view shows, there is ample space for two 
or more persons to walk abreast, and the path is 
made of two rows of stout planks, on which walking 
is quite easy, even for ladies and children or infirm 
persons. 

Although many people experience a feeling of fear 
at the idea of thus walking into the immense ice-field, 
which is constantly cracking and making noises of 
various kinds, it is not of long duration. The novelty 
and interest of the situation soon dissipate any want 
of confidence, and the entire attention is taken up 
in admiring the splendid color of the clean, pure ice, 
which is an opalescent, pearly green. A lengthened 
sojourn in the tunnel is not unpleasant. The temper- 
ature is not excessively low ; there is always more or 
less melting going on in summer. A little stream of 
the ice-water can be seen in the upper right-hand 
corner of the view. 

Our photograph has been made from a point far 
inside of the tunnel, looking out towards the entrance. 
Let us ask our friends in the audience to try and 
realize the beauty of these pale, icy walls, which our 
photograph, good as it is, can only reproduce in 
monochrome. 

35. Entrance to the Via Mala. — Our route now 
takes us through the grandest and most picturesque 
mountain pass or defile in Switzerland. The name 
"Via Mala," or ''bad road" is a relic of savage 
times, when the splendid post-roads which now inter- 
sect the country everywhere were undreamed of. In 
fact, so late as the year 1822 the Via Mala was a mere 
path some four feet in width, which followed the left 
bank of the stream the whole way. We must further 



41 SWITZERLAND. 

remark that the view now before us shows the actual 
commencement of the famous pass known as the 
Splugen ; the road making a rapid, yet evenly graded 
ascent from Thusis, a pleasant village just in the rear 
of the spot where the photographer stood when 
making the picture. The scenery is exceedingly 
grand, and is on an immense scale ; a close examina- 
tion of our picture reveals the broad carriage-road 
near the bottom of the hill, in shadow, on the right, 
and a somewhat narrower one curving amongst the 
trees on the other side of the river. The enormous 
bluff of rock which fills up the left hand portion of 
the view is known as the Johannsberg, and rises 
eight hundred feet from the Rhine below. The river 
at this point describes a number of very graceful 
curves, as the picture shows, finally straightening 
itself out, as it were, to flow along through the 
meadow land below Thusis, after being pent up for 
many miles in the rocky chasms and gorges of the 
Via Mala. 

The rugged and precipitous character of the Via 
Mala is preserved throughout its entire length, the 
great bluff at the entrance being thrown into insig- 
nificance by those farther up the defile. 

36. The Johannsberg-, Via Mala. — The view 
now before us gives a somewhat better and more 
extended prospect. We are now looking in a direction 
opposite to our previous picture, which was taken 
from a point just beyond the wooded hill on the left,, 
and looking this way. 

The village of Thusis is distinctly seen in the cen- 
tre of the view, at the foot of the precipitous Johanns- 
berg. Little glimpses of the river Rhine and of the 

\ 



SWITZERLAND. 411 

carriage-road are there also, between the rock and 
the steep hill on the left The slopes of the Heinzen- 
berg close in the view in the background. 

A close inspection of the summit of the Johanns- 
berg, just where the great rocks form a sort of right 
angle, w^ill reveal some ruins of a castle known as 
Hohen Rhaetien, or Hoch Realta. These ruins are 
the oldest in all Switzerland, and occupy a most pic- 
turesque and commanding position. Their founda- 
tions stand at a height of eight hundred and seven 
feet above the river, and in earlier days the castle 
must have been impregnable. The other side of the 
Johannsberg is quite as precipitous as the one seen 
in the view, and even the grassy slopes on the near 
side lead to other heights that no human foot can 
scale. The only approach is from a village far 
around to the right, and the pathway is so narrow 
and steep that a few brave men could easily prevent 
the ascent of a large force. The view from these 
ruins surpasses description, and embraces a large 
tract of the level country to the north, besides a con- 
siderable portion of the Via Mala. 

The village of Thusis, the meeting point of several 
roads, is situated on high ground just beyond the 
entrance of the gorge. Cool air from the great ravine 
makes the temperature delightful even on the hottest 
days. 

37. Splugen. — Our way up the celebrated Splu- 
gen Pass, which takes its name from the little towit 
seen in the picture, leads- us the entire length of the 
Via Mala ; some four miles or more. The peculiar 
character of this great mountain gorge consists in 
precipitous cliffs, which in some places approach each 



412 SWITZERLAND. 

Other so closely that the daylight is dimmed, and 
render all efforts of the photographer to transcribe 
them, vain. 

We finally emerge from the gloomy defile into the 
pretty, and yet rather bleak mountain valley, where 
the town of Splugen stands at the foot of the pic- 
turesque Kalkberg, which we see before us in the 
rear of the village. We have made a considerable 
ascent since leaving Thusis. The town of Splugen 
stands at an elevation of nearly five thousand feet 
above sea-level, and is the joining point of two chief- 
Alpine passes — the Bernardino and the Splugen. 
The latter pass, properly speaking, begins at the 
town and crosses the summit about two thousand feet 
higher up. It is a very ancient one, and was known 
to the Romans ; it was also highly dangerous until 
the construction of the new road by the Austrian 
Government in the year 1823. The zigzags by which 
the road ascends, and the avalanche or snow tunnels 
remind us of other Alpine passes. 

Beyond its picturesque position, there is little or 
nothing of interest in the town. It formerly belonged 
to the lords of Sax ; it was badly damaged by a flood 
in 1834. The River Rhine runs in front of the town, 
and vehicles cross it on a fine modern bridge, built 
of iron. The neighborhood offers a number of inter- 
esting walks and drives, both ascending to the sum- 
mit, where the Italian custom-house is situated, and 
back in the direction of Thusis, through the Via 
Mala. 

38. Entrance to the Stelvio Pass. — Although the 
Stelvio Pass lies just outside the border-line of Swit- 
zerland, we have given a view of its Italian side 



SWITZERLAND. 413 

here, owing to the pecuHarities it presents in its 
rocky, mountainous walls. 

The Stelvio is the highest pass in Europe over 
which vehicles can be driven. The column on the 
summit near the little refuge used by the laborers on 
the road gives the elevation above the sea at 9,045 
feet, at the same time marking the boundary between 
Italy and the Austrian Tyrol. 

Our view is made at a point on the Italian side, 
about a mile below the Baths of Bormio. The large 
hotel is distinctly seen under the sharp rocky peak 
at the right, and the cluster of little houses forming 
the town can also be distinguished slightly to the left 
and lower down. The Stelvio road ascends in zig- 
zags on the hill at the right, and pursues its way up 
the gloomy looking valley in the background. 

Bormio stands in a vale opening directly into the 
Val Tellina, where there is considerable industry in 
wines. Thus the rides in both directions are very 
interesting, but it may be doubted whether the Stel- 
vio is the equal of some of the other Swiss passes, so 
far as scenery is concerned ; although there are very 
fine views to be had of the great Ortler group of 
mountains. 

39. Schloss Stockalper and the Rhone Valley. 

— Our route takes us now into some of the less stu- 
pendous and exciting, but none the less interesting 
portions of Switzerland. The region near the little 
town of Brieg, where our view is made, may seem 
tame after the gloomy mountain fastnesses and the 
rocky walls of the Stelvio and Via Mala. But it is 
a fact universally agreed upon by travelers, that a 
too long continued sojourn in the higher mountain 



414 SWITZERLAND. 

districts becomes fatiguing both to the mind and to 
the eye. The interest and surprise which are excited 
by the first views of precipitous mountains close at 
hand, become actually painful if the traveler be sub- 
jected to the impression for a lengthened time, and 
the first views of the open country, where the eye 
has more space in which to range with freedom, will 
be welcomed with delight. 

The most passing glance at our view will show, 
however, that we have not taken our friends into a flat 
country, the mountains upon either side of the valley 
being of considerable height, and snow being plainly 
visible on the one in the rear, just to the left of the 
tower. The river Rhone lies rather too far to the 
right to be seen in the view, but it runs a rapid course 
through the lovely intervale back of the town, and 
turns abruptly to the right on its way to the Lake of 
Geneva at the point of the hill in the centre of the 
picture. 

The little town of Brieg, of which we see a large 
portion in the view, is beautifully situated, and has a 
rather more imposing appearance than most of the 
other towns in this vicinity, owing to the numerous 
steeples and towers on its larger houses, as well as 
those of Schloss Stockalper, at which we will now 
take a closer look. 

40. Scliloss Stockalper, Brleg-. — This view will be 
immediately recognized as having been taken from a 
point nearer to the castle or Schloss than the preced- 
ing one. The three large stone towers are seen to be 
the same, but their positions are somewhat changed. 
The little glimpses through the towers and around 
the castle give an idea of the loveliness of the rural 



SWITZERLAND, 415 

scenery of this part of Switzerland, and a part of a 
fine double row of poplar trees which line the post- 
route is also to be seen. 

This town is an excellent centre for excursions. 
By following the boldly-rising hill on the right for 
some half-dozen hours, the great Aletsch Glacier is 
reached ; while by ascending on the other side of the 
valley from Brieg we are soon in the steep inclines of 
the Simplon Pass. 

The Stockalper family, to w^hom the half-ruined 
castle here seen formerly belonged, were at one time 
wealthy and powerful. A tall tower at Gondo, very 
similar to the three seen in the view was built there by 
the Stockalpers as a refuge for travelers, before the 
roads were either opened or in safe condition. The 
castle stands, as can be seen, on the rise of a small hill, 
which makes it a very prominent feature in the land- 
scape, for miles around. Our previous view showed 
the town, which is beautifully situated to the right of 
the old castle. It thus, as it were, stands guard over 
the town on the south. 

There is little or nothing of interest in the town 
itself, with the exception of some rather picturesque 
turreted houses. Brieg is the terminus of the rail- 
road. The lovely situation of the town, and the 
numerous excursions, however, quite make up for 
this deficiency. 

41. Swiss Chalets at Naters. — A charming walk 
of not more than a mile across the Rhone from 
Brieg, brings us to the quaint little village of Naters, 
which consists almost throughout of the picturesque 
chalets as seen in the view. 



4l6 SWITZERLAND. 

In making the delightful excursion to the Aletsch 
Glacier from Brieg, Naters is the first village passed 
through. It is interesting to botanists as being the 
last point in the Rhone Valley where the chestnut 
tree grows. The ascent from Naters in every direc- 
tion is so steep that the air soon becomes too cold to 
allow the tree to flourish. 

Naters is inhabited by a very poor class of people. 
The interiors of these houses are often wretched in 
the extreme, and correspond with their filthy exter- 
iors. They are substantially constructed, however, 
as may be seen from the straight lines of the walls, 
and the solid manner in which the joists are mortised 
together. An ascending line of these mortises is 
seen just to the right of the small balcony under 
which the man and woman are standing. The whiter 
portions of the buildings consist of a sort of rubble 
or concrete work, the shapeless stones being strongly 
connected with mortar, which is afterwards plastered 
over on the outside. The manner in which these 
buildings are huddled together shows how valuable 
ground is in Switzerland. The village churchyard 
here is so small that all the dead bodies — or what is 
left of them — are removed once every ten years, the 
ground being dug completely over. The bones are 
placed in a charnel-house or ''ossuary," attached to 
the church. This is a common custom in Switzer- 
land. 

42. The Morteratsch Glacier. — We shall not 
apologize for presenting another picture of one of^ 
the great Swiss glaciers, knowing how interesting 
they are in all their portions. It will be immediately 
noticed that the one before us gives a view of a differ- 

V 



SWITZERLAND. 417 

entpart of the glacier formation from what we have 
hitherto seen. The part now seen in the photograph 
shows the actual end or bottom of the glacier, where 
the water escapes from under the ice, and also the 
manner in which huge pieces crack and still remain 
in position for a long time before falling. The crack 
in the ice over the arch is plainly seen, while far back 
under the arch are other large masses which have 
already fallen and are melting — very slowly indeed, 
for the water of course is ** ice-water " in the truest 
sense of the term. 

The rushing stream here represents the gathering 
together of the liquid portions of the glacier ; in 
reality the water is as opaque as the thickest cream 
from the detritus of the rocks that it has taken up when 
low down near the bottom of the ice-mass. But when 
we mount on the back of the glacier, and walk up a 
little distance where we can look down into a cre- 
vasse where the ice is clean and pure, we there find 
the glacier-water running in streams of exquisite 
purity and much the bluish-green color of the ice 
itself. 

43. The Gorner Glacier. — The little village of 
Zermatt is generally visited for the sake of the fine 
views to be had of the noble Matterhorn, which 
rises to the height of 14,000 feet above the sea, but 
this is by no means the only attraction of the neigh- 
borhood. Some of the finest glaciers in Switzerland 
are easily accessible from Zermatt, and we here have 
a view of the famous Gorner Glacier, which is seen 
when we ascend the '* Gorner Grat," as it is called, 
the latter being a continuation of the Riffelberg. 
The excursion up the Riffelberg is a justly favorite 



41 8 SWITZERLAND. 

one, and is easily made from the town. The majestic 
glacier descends from the side of the Monte Rosa, a 
portion of which is seen in the view. Like others 
of its kind, it is reached by a steep slope or descent 
from the rocks above, and at the point where our 
picture has been taken it presents a jagged structure, 
not unlike the Mer de Glace at Chamounix, though 
not so regular and wave-like. 

Interesting as the glacier itself is, the glorious pano- 
rama of cloud-piercing snowy peaks seen from the 
little inn which can just be distinguished in the lower 
left-hand corner of the picture, is still more attractive, 
and is one of the most imposing in the Alps. The 
enormous snowy shoulders of Monte Rosa and the 
Lyskamer, and the colossal rocks of the Breithorn are 
in full view, and we frankly admit that nothing we 
have yet seen gives us a better idea of the wondrous 
mountain architecture and icy fields of the higher Alps. 
It must not be forgotten that we are now standing at 
an elevation of more than ten thousand feet. At the 
foot of the glacier, a little below the spot where our 
view is made, the ice formerly ran into the meadows, 
so that the grass and the ice almost came into contact 
with one another ; in fact, it rather encroached upon 
them, but after the year 1867, it partook in the gen- 
eral shrinkage observed in the glaciers throughout 
Switzerland. 

44. The Hospice of St. Bernard arid Mont Velari. 

— There is a certain amount of similarity in the 
principal Swiss passes, so we will only devote time 
enough to the Great St. Bernard to take a look at the 
celebrated hospice, or refuge, which we here see in 
the photograph before us. 



SWITZERLAND. 419 

The Hospice of St. Bernard consists of two large 
buildings directly in the mountain pass of that name, 
and stands at an elevation of 8,120 feet; we see them 
plainly near the centre of the picture. One of these 
buildings contains the church, the rooms of the 
brotherhood, and other rooms for travelers ; the 
other one contains lodgings for very poor wayfarers, 
store-houses, etc. No charge is made for the enter- 
tainment of travelers, but every one is expected to 
deposit in the alms-box a sum at least the equal of 
what he would pay in any ordinary hotel. 

The St. Bernard dogs can still be seen here, but it 
is asserted that the genuine breed is extinct ; many 
lives have been saved by these noble animals. 

The expenses of this excellent charity are increas- 
ing, and it is a sad commentary on the meanness of 
human nature, when we say that the sum actually 
contributed by travelers who could well afford to 
pay a proper price for their accommodation, has not 
reached one-twentieth of what it should have done. 

In the background we see the snow-covered Mont 
Velan. Its summit is more than 12,000 feet above 
sea-level, and is very difficult to climb to. 

45. Cliamounix and Mont Blanc. — The little 
village of Chamounix, consisting almost entirely of 
hotels, is famous the world over, and if the visitor 
has even passably good weather he will not be disap- 
pointed. On a bright, clear morning the panorama 
of Mont Blanc, with the great glaciers of Bossons 
and the Mer de Glace, and the different '' aiguilles," 
or needles, as the French people call the sharp /ocky 
points surrounding them, form a picture that will 
never be forgotten. Nor is it only in clear weather 



420 SWITZERLAND. 

that the traveler will be thus rewarded. It some- 
times happens, in summer particularly, that a thun- 
der-cloud will envelop the bases of the mountains, 
allowing now and then a bit of some rocky peak or 
snow-covered summit to be seen in isolated majesty in 
the sky, as it were, while the forked lightning flashes 
and strikes far below. If the sun appears before the 
conclusion of the storm, the sight becomes one of 
the grandest that the eye of man can behold. At 
such a time the ice-covered mountains, gorgeous in 
their coloring, freshened by the rain, will be seen 
through the impalpable prismatic curtain of the 
rainbow. 

Our photograph shows the summit of Mont Blanc 
on a clear morning, the high, rounded point over 
the hotel at the left, and the Dome and the Aiguille 
du Gouter farther to the right. The Glacier des 
Bossons, at which we shall soon get a nearer look, is 
also seen descending from near the summit for almost 
its entire length. 

46. Diligence on tlie Route Between Cham- 
ounix and Geneva. — This picture gives us an excel- 
lent idea of the manner in which passengers and 
baggage are conveyed between the two principal 
points mentioned. The diligences in other parts of 
Switzerland are built on a different plan. 

The road between Geneva and Chamounix is a 
superb effort of engineering skill, and the peculiar 
form of the diligence, as seen in the view, has doubt- 
less been settled upon as well suited to the wide, 
even, and well-graded ascent. It will be observed 
that the seats for the passengers are all arranged on 
top of the coach, except the three in the coupe, as it 



SWITZERLAND. A2 1 

is called, the window of which is seen just above the 
fore-wheel and under the driver, who is also seen in 
his place with the reins in his hand. The horses are 
attached in a rather original manner ; two being 
placed side by side as usual, next the body of the 
coach, but in advance of them there are three har- 
nessed side by side. The third horse in our picture 
is concealed from view by the bodies of the others, a 
small portion only of his legs and feet being visible 
on the side next the houses. A glance at the left 
side of the picture shows the porters in the act of 
loading luggage in the interior or body of the coach, 
which occupies the whole of the space in the rear of 
the coupe. This arrangement brings so much weight 
low down, that even when all the seats above are 
occupied the coach is well balanced, and there is no 
risk of an overturn. The curtains at the sides can 
be drawn to in case of rain, and in fine weather noth- 
ing is in the way to intercept the splendid views on 
the route. 

47. The Mer de Glace, Chamounix. — Of all the 

short excursions in the neighborhood of the town of 
Chamounix, the one to the Montanvert is the most 
delightful. An easy ascent of about two and a half 
hours brings the traveler to the inn, where a comfort- 
able luncheon may be had, and the magnificent view 
of the Mer de Glace, which we here have on the 
screen before us, enjoyed at leisure. 

The Mer de Glace, or ''sea of ice," to translate the 
name literally, is very properly so called. The cre- 
vasses in the ice are so deep, and the projecting 
crests so bold that the resemblance to a frozen sea is 
striking. This great glacier descends from the chain 



42 2 SWITZERLAND. 

of mountains of which Mont Blanc is the highest 
peak. In the view before us the lower part of the 
glacier is shown, with the peaks of the Grandes 
Jorasses in the background. 

Tourists as a rule cross the Mer de Glace to an inn 
on the other side, known as the Chapeau. ' Persons are 
ready to supply creepers for the shoes and other affairs 
to prevent the feet from slipping on the ice. With 
these precautions taken and a good guide to lead the 
way, the excursion is quite free from risk, and is just 
of a pleasant length ; an hour and a half is generally 
occupied in crossing. Admirable opportunities are 
thus afforded to those interested in glaciers to become 
well familiarized with a world-renowned one at a 
small expenditure of money and time. 

Everything, of course, depends upon the condition 
of the weather when making these excursions in the 
mountains, but it is well to remember that on cloudy 
days, when the scud hangs over the higher peaks, 
they are not devoid of interest to those who are con- 
tent to see a little of Nature in all her phases. 

48. Ice Pyramids on tlie Glacier ties Bossons, 
Cliaiiiomiix. — The Glacier des Bossons is the lower 
one of .the two great ice-fields which descend into 
the beautiful valley of Chamounix. The ravine in the 
mountain side through which this great glacier comes 
down is very rough, and the surface of the ice is 
inclined at a steeper angle than the Mer de Glace, 
besides which it is much more broken and irregular. 

Our picture shows some of these surface irregu- 
larities, which here take the form of pyramids or 
" aiguilles." The view has been taken at a consider- 
able height above the valley. The diligence route to 



SWITZERLAND. 423 

-Geneva can be seen as a long white line, running 
along in the valley on this side of the river. The 
camera has been set on a high point and directed 
downwards in making this view, which accounts for 
the somewhat unusual effect of perspective. 

A beautiful specimen of the aiguille, or needle- 
shaped ice-pyramid is seen at the extreme right 
of the picture. The term "aiguille" is chiefly 
applied to rocks and mountain peaks, but the slender 
sharpness of the formation we speak of fully justifies 
the use of the word ; it is really as sharp as a needle. 

49. Mvirren. — Some of the most interesting views 
of the great mountains of Switzerland are to be 
obtained by ascending the foot-hills or lower eleva- 
tions. This is especially the case in places like the 
Bernese Oberland, where the mountains are charac- 
terized by great steepness as well as height. 

The view now on the screen gives a portion of the 
splendid Alpine panorama seen from Murren, an 
humble village which stands on a sort of rocky shelf 
at the top of the precipice overlooking the valley of 
Lauterbrunnen. We see the small chalets of which 
the village is composed, in the foreground. The 
black spots on the roofs are stones, which are put 
there to keep them steady during the fierce winds 
that sometimes prevail in these upper regions. 

The precipitous sides of the Schwarze Monch, and 
the snow-covered sides of the Eiger and Monch, 
which are partly concealed by mist, can be plainly 
seen. The roof of the hotel can be made out at the 
extreme right-hand end of the village, just under the 
steeply-inclined peak of the Eiger. The Jungfrau, 
the monarch of the range, lies behind the Schwarze 



424 SWITZERLAND. 

Monch, and too far to the left to be visible in the 
view. 

50. Mont Blanc. — Our trip through Switzerland 
is now concluded, but we have reserved for our last 
view in this beautiful land a picture which we are 
sure will dwell in the minds of our friends with a 
force and persistency only second to the impressions 
made by an actual survey of the glories which are 
there to be seen. 

Our photograph has been taken from an elevated 
standpoint on the Tete Noire route, looking back 
over the valley of Chamounix, and commanding an 
unobstructed view of the Mont Blanc chain of moun- 
tains. The great height at which we are standing is 
testified to by the patches of snow seen near the middle 
of the picture. The long, sweeping black line just 
beyond the snow, marks the beginning of a steep 
descent into the valley of Chamounix, and slightly to 
the left of its middle we observe a large white spot, 
which closer examination shows to be an hotel of 
considerable size. Our photographer has so chosen 
his point of view that this hotel becomes a prominent 
object in the picture, and serves to convey some slight 
idea of the immense scale on which the surroundings 
have been reproduced. The summit of Mont Blanc 
is at the very top of this picture nearly in the middle, 
and we also see the different points remarked upon 
when we were in the Valley of Chamounix — the 
Dome and the Aiguille du Gouter and the Glacier des 
Bossons among others. We can now easily under- 
stand how this majestic landscape inspired the poet 
Coleridge to write, 

"Hast thou a charm to stay the morning star 
In his steep course ? So long he seems to pause 
On thy bald awful head, O sovnan Blanc." 






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